The first-ever Virgil Taylor Memorial Golf Tournament on June 10 [FRIDAY] in Oklahoma City will kick off efforts to raise money for a scholarship in Taylor's name at East Central University in Ada.

The scholarship will aid undergraduate students at ECU who are pursuing a career in vocational rehabilitation counseling. Taylor, a 1970 graduate of ECU, died in 2008 after a 33-year career in rehabilitation services.

From its beginning, East Central University has been closely tied to the Chickasaw Nation and Native American culture. One hundred years ago Dan Hays, a Chickasaw Indian, donated the land for the original campus. Today, 20 percent of ECU's students are Native American and the university features a Native American Student Association, a Native American studies major and the Hayes Native American Studies Center.

Oklahoma City --The Oklahoma Child Care Resource & Referral Association Inc. has announced the publication of the 2008 Oklahoma Child Care and Early Education Portfolio, a detailed compilation of information and statistics depicting the status of child care in Oklahoma.

A teacher and single mother who joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard out of desperation in order to support her two children -- before retiring 28 years later as a record-setting major general -- will be the speaker during a Veterans Appreciation Day ceremony June 12 [FRIDAY] at East Central University.

East Central University's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and community
interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area,
East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement.